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More Than Skin Deep

Last month the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service put a travel ban on salamanders, preventing 201 species from being imported or moved across state lines. It’s for their own good. A flesh-eating fungus called Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, or Bsal, has been decimating Europe’s salamanders, and wildlife officials worry that North America's could be next.

Bsal likely originated in Asia, where amphibians then evolved alongside it, rendering it harmless. But when Asian salamanders end up in other parts of the world (thanks mostly to the pet trade), the translocated sallies can spread the fungus to native species, who don’t stand a chance. Should a Bsal outbreak strike here, the consequences would be particularly devastating, because the United States is a biodiversity hotspot for these amphibians. The above Vox video explains why we need to protect these unsung (and many already endangered) heroes of the forest.

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